


Of Books and Flirting

by ScienceFantasy93



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Awkward Flirting, Bookstores, F/M, Jason's super nervous, Mentions of Sex, Piper is amused
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-01
Updated: 2020-04-01
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:48:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23438707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScienceFantasy93/pseuds/ScienceFantasy93
Summary: Once they were out on the street, Leo cracked up.“Oh man! Don’t tell me that’s the girl you’ve been crushing on for the last month and a half!”Jason’s cheeks heated up. “Yeah. So what?”“Dude, I mean this in the nicest way possible, but – she is way out of your league. Plus she looks like she’s in a rock band. Which is cool and all, but not for you since you’re, you know, a nerd.”“I am not a nerd,” Jason protested.“Dude, when was the last time you went out and did something fun? Or, I don’t know, talked to a girl who wasn’t Percy’s girlfriend?”“I can talk to girls just fine,” Jason said defensively as they headed back towards campus. “I’ve had girlfriends. I dated a couple of girls last year.”“Yeah, okay, fine. But you just choked. Piper was looking at you like she was about ready to drop her panties, and you choked.”
Relationships: Jason Grace/Piper McLean, Percy Jackson/Annabeth Chase (mentioned)
Kudos: 57





	Of Books and Flirting

**Author's Note:**

> Just had this little idea spinning around in my head for a bit and since I'm in quarantine like the rest of the world, I figured I'd go ahead and type it out. It's another college AU, with them in their sophomore year. Hope you guys enjoy nervous Jason and amused Piper! :)

One of the things Jason liked the most about his college campus was how small it was. The campus – hell, the whole town for that matter – felt tightknit, nothing too far away, everything at his fingertips. Yet every time he turned around, he found himself stumbling upon some new nook and cranny. First it was the indie music store, that sold old records, cassettes, and CDs – all visages from a time before streaming and MP3s.   
  
Next it had been the funky little coffee shop that made a mean espresso and didn’t charge nearly as much as Starbucks.   
  
Today it was a bookstore.  
  
He’d been walking back from dinner with Leo after a hellish week of college. They’d opted to drown their sorrows in Chinese food, before strolling through their college town. Even though they were sophomores, they still always managed to find something interesting to look at.  
  
Jason was half-listening to Leo describe in agonizing detail how much his classes sucked this semester when he spotted the wooden banner over the funky purple door: Off-Kilter Books – New, Used, & Questionable!  
  
“I’ve never been in there before,” Jason commented, talking over Leo without even realizing what he was doing. “Have you?”  
  
Leo raised an eyebrow. “A place with questionable books? Sounds like my kind of place – and I usually try to avoid reading.”  
  
Jason rolled his eyes and yanked the door open. A bell tinkled over his head as he stepped into the shop. At first glance the place appeared to be tiny, but as he looked around, he realized that there were rows and rows of bookcases, and what seemed to be dozens of display tables. The bookshelves were all neatly labeled, something he could definitely appreciate.  
  
He could hear what seemed to be indie rock playing in the background, and he wondered if the owner was friends with the guy who ran the music store down the way.  
  
“Hi, how can I help you?”  
  
He turned to find a pretty brunette walking towards him, and his stomach dropped. He recognized her from his English class. He’d noticed her the very first day of the fall semester, and had promptly developed a crush the size of Russia. With her clunky combat boots and vintage-style clothes, he couldn’t imagine she’d be interested in someone as straight-laced and buttoned-up as him. True, she was smiling right now, but she was clearly in customer service mode. She was at work. He was just another customer to her. In fact, she probably didn’t even recognize him.”  
  
“We’re just looking around,” Leo told her. “This place looks pretty cool. We didn’t even know it was here.”  
  
“Yeah, most people stumble in by accident,” she said with a laugh. It rang like music in Jason’s ears. He’d never heard her laugh before. Come to think of it, he didn’t even know her name. “That’s what happened to me. I was just out walking around, looking for places to apply, and I happened to see this one. I figured what the hell, and the owner liked me. So here I am.” Her smile widened as she turned to Jason. “Don’t I have you in my English class? You know, the American Short Story one?”  
  
Jason’s stomach flip-flopped. Oh god. She knew who he was? She recognized him? None of his fantasies could have prepared him for _this_.  
  
“Y-yeah, I-I think – I think so,” he managed to stutter out. Oh god. He’d imagined her naked, but he couldn’t even get out a full sentence without sounding like a dumbass. Why did he have to be this way? Why couldn’t he have been brimming with confidence like Leo, or sarcastically flirty like Percy, his roommate? He could have even been sweet and thoughtful like Frank, Leo’s roommate. But oh no. None of those were viable options for Jason Grace.   
  
“Yeah, we do,” she said confidently. “God, what did you think of that last novel Professor Wilson assigned us? I could barely get through it.”  
  
Jason flashed back to the disturbingly gothic novella Wilson had made them read. “Yeah, it was kinda gross,” he agreed, relieved he hadn’t fucked up that sentence.  
  
“I do _not_ like gothic literature,” she stated. “I’ll be so happy when this section is done.”  
  
“Y-yeah. M-me t-too.” For fuck’s sake. There was that stutter again.  
  
She smiled with something akin to amusement. “I’m Piper.”  
  
“Jason.” Great news. He’d managed to state his name without completely embarrassing himself.  
  
“It’s nice to officially meet you, Jason.” She held out her hand, and it took Jason a moment to realize what she wanted. He shook her hand carefully, praying that his palm wasn’t clammy while managing to notice how small and soft her fingers felt between his. He wished this moment could last forever.  
  
“You too,” he choked out. “It’s nice to meet you too, Piper.”  
  
Her smile widened, and this time there was no amusement behind it. She just seemed happy at the sentiment.  
  
“Well, as much fun as this has been,” Leo announced, “I’ve got to head back. I’ve got an eight-page paper due tomorrow morning, and I haven’t even started it.”  
  
“Good luck,” Piper told him, before saying to Jason, “I’ll see you in class tomorrow.”  
  
He nodded, probably way too fast and way too eagerly. “Yeah, definitely.”  
  
He followed Leo out of the shop, the door swinging shut behind him. Once they were out on the street, Leo cracked up.  
  
“Oh man! Don’t tell me that’s the girl you’ve been crushing on for the last month and a half!”  
  
Jason’s cheeks heated up. “Yeah. So what?”  
  
“Dude, I mean this in the nicest way possible, but – she is _way_ out of your league. Plus she looks like she’s in a rock band. Which is cool and all, but not for you since you’re, you know, a nerd.”  
  
“I am not a nerd,” Jason protested.  
  
“Dude, when was the last time you went out and did something fun? Or, I don’t know, talked to a girl who wasn’t Percy’s girlfriend?”  
  
“I can talk to girls just fine,” Jason said defensively as they headed back towards campus. “I’ve had girlfriends. I dated a couple of girls last year.”  
  
“Yeah, okay, fine. But you just _choked_. Piper was looking at you like she was about ready to drop her panties, and you choked.”  
  
Jason’s cheeks heated up even more at the mental image Leo had conjured up. “She wasn’t looking at me like that.”  
  
“The hell she wasn’t.”  
  
“Okay, fine. Let’s say she was. Then why would she be out of my league? If she’s into me, that doesn’t make any sense.”  
  
“Because you’re a nerd who could barely get out his own name.”  
  
Jason rolled his eyes. “Whatever. The point is moot, because she doesn’t want me. She’s not into me. And she sure as hell isn’t going to drop her panties for me.”  
  
“Not now she’s not.”  
  
“We’re done talking about this. And tomorrow I’m putting out applications for a new best friend.”  
  
Leo laughed. “Good luck, buddy. I’m your best choice.”  
  
“Fuck.”

* * *

Jason hadn’t expected much to change in the English class. He figured best case scenario, he and Piper might wave to each other. What he didn’t expect was for her to drop down into the chair next to his, and begin piling her English notebook, textbook, and purple and blue pens on the desk.  
  
“Hey, stranger,” she greeted him with a teasing smile. “How’s it going?”  
  
“F-fine.” The stutter was back. It was like a very annoying mosquito that refused to accept that it wouldn’t be getting any blood. Jason wished he could just smack it down with his textbook, but figured it might look a little odd if he took a five pound textbook to the face.  
  
Piper’s lips twitched in amusement. “It was too bad you and your friend had to rush off so soon. You could’ve looked around the shop a little more.”  
  
Jason ducked his head so he wouldn’t have to meet those gorgeous brown eyes. He couldn’t believe how long her lashes were, or how high her cheekbones were, or – wait, wasn’t she waiting for a response?  
  
“Yeah, sorry. But Leo’s is the world class champion when it comes to procrastination. In fact, starting on that paper before 9pm is a step-up for him.”  
  
Piper giggled. “I can be like that. My roommate is always getting after me for that, but I don’t know. It just works for me. I suddenly have all this motivation to get it done, you know?”  
  
“Yeah.” He nodded. “I think I do.”  
  
She smiled at him. “Don’t you usually wear glasses?”  
  
“Yeah, because my first class is at 8am, and I never feel like fucking around with my contacts. But that class was canceled, so…”  
  
“You look both ways, with your contacts in and with your glasses.”  
  
He knew he must be blushing hard. “Th-thanks.”  
  
She smirked as Professor Wilson waltzed into the classroom. “You’re welcome.”  
  


* * *

If Jason had thought Piper sitting next to him in English class would be a onetime deal, he was wrong. She was always a few minutes behind him, but no matter where he sat, she would find him and join him at the next desk. On the one morning when he was running late because his previous class had run over, she waved at him when he stumbled into the classroom and removed her backpack from the chair next to her desk.  
  
They usually only had time to exchange a few words here and there before class started, but Jason didn’t mind. He enjoyed their brief exchanges, and it soon became his favorite part of the day. He learned that, like him, she was from California and that, also like him, she had a parent in the entertainment industry. She told him how much she enjoyed living in upstate New York, and he admitted to enjoying the proximity to New York City. He learned she was vegetarian, and had been most of her life, but she didn’t seem repulsed when he accidentally let slip that he was meeting his friends for a burger after class. He learned she was half-Cherokee, half-Greek, and felt constantly frustrated because neither of her parents saw any reason to embrace their heritage. And he learned that she enjoyed alt rock and indie rock, but she also loved Taylor Swift songs.  
  
There was only one problem to this. Two weeks after she first began sitting with him, Jason still hadn’t asked her out.  
  
“Dude, what’re you waiting for?” Percy asked as he lounged on his bed in their dorm. “She clearly likes you. Just make a move.”  
  
“I can’t,” Jason said, definitely not using a whiny tone at all. “What if she says no?”  
  
“What if she says yes?” Percy countered. “What if she hauls you off to her dorm for illegally hot sex?”  
  
“I think I’d die if she did that.”  
  
Percy rolled his eyes. “Work with me here. What’s her name?”  
  
“Piper.”  
  
“Piper? Piper McLean?”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
Percy grinned. “Jason, she’s Annabeth’s roommate. I can hook you up if you want.”  
  
“Oh god. No. No, that’s okay. There’s no need for that.”  
  
“Why not? Annabeth and I can totally play matchmaker for you.”  
  
“No, please, no. There’s no need for any of that. Just – just let me figure things out on my own.”  
  
Percy blew out a breath of air. “Ugh. Fine. But you need to act fast. Piper’s not going to wait around forever for you to get up the nerve to ask her out.”  
  
“Why doesn’t she just ask me out?” Jason demanded, suddenly feeling defensive.  
  
“She’s made all the moves so far, right? She sat down next to you and initiated the conversation. She asked for your number. It’s your turn. You’ve got to keep the playing field level. It’s only fair.”  
  
Jason let out a deep breath. “I guess. Okay. You’re right. She’s working tonight, so I’ll go down to the bookstore and ask her.”  
  
“That’s the spirit. But hey, don’t come back too early. Annabeth’s coming over.”  
  
“For fuck’s sake.”  
  


* * *

Forty-five minutes later saw Jason come to a sudden stop outside the bookstore. Was he really going to do this? Was he going to ask Piper out while she was _working_? That suddenly seemed super lame. Couldn’t he come up with a better time to ask her for a date? You know, sometime when she wasn’t on the clock?  
  
“Jesus Christ, Grace,” he muttered to himself, “just fucking do it.”  
  
He pushed the door open, setting the bell off. A quick look around proved that the bookstore seemed pretty much void of customers. He spotted Piper on a ladder, shelving books. She was dressed in a purple and black plaid skirt, a black off-the-shoulder top, fishnets, and those combat boots. Her hair was braided on either side, revealing multiple piercings in each other.  
  
He licked his lips nervously. Was he really going to do this?  
  
Fuck yeah he was.  
  
He walked over to the ladder and cleared his throat. “Excuse me.”  
  
Piper was still focused on the books she was putting away. Without looking at him, she asked, “Is there something I can help you with?”  
  
“One thing comes to mind.”  
  
She swiveled on the ladder and looked down, before smiling widely. “Jason! I didn’t expect to see you tonight. What’s up?”  
  
It wasn’t too late. He could tell her he just needed the notes for their English quiz on Friday. He could say he was just out for a walk and thought he’d pop in. He could say number of things that made way more sense than what he was about to ask her.  
  
The problem was that none of those things were true.  
  
“I’ve got a question I need to ask you,” he said. “If you say no, it’s totally fine, I completely understand. I just – I really need to ask this.”  
  
She furrowed her brow. “What is it?”  
  
“Will you go out with me?” The words spilled out before he could even think about stopping them, like a tidal wave of hopes and wishes and desires.  
  
Piper blinked before smiling again. “Took you long enough, loser. I’ve been waiting for you to ask me out for ages.”  
  
“It’s only been two weeks,” he protested as she climbed down the ladder.  
  
“Well, it’s felt like ages.” She braced her hands on his chest, backing him into the bookshelf. “And you should never leave a girl waiting like that.”  
  
Jason swallowed hard. “Aren’t you – aren’t you supposed to be working?”  
  
“My boss isn’t here, I’m making minimum wage, and we’re almost closed up for the night.”  
  
“Oh. Well, then I guess that’s okay.”  
  
She let out a throaty laugh and closed the space between them, her lips meeting Jason’s. He returned the kiss eagerly, hands coming up to cup her face. She pushed closer, her fingers trailing down his neck and over the collar of his shirt, teasingly playing with the top button before pulling back. It took Jason a moment to realize why. What sounded like an iPhone alarm was going off up at the counter.  
  
“That’s my cue,” Piper announced. “The store is closed. So, you can either wait around while I finish closing up, or you can head back to your dorm and I’ll meet you there.”  
  
Thinking of Percy’s warning, Jason said quickly, “I’ll just wait around here. I don’t think we’re going to want to go back to my dorm for awhile.”  
  
“How come?” she asked as she locked the front door.  
  
“Because Annabeth is there with Percy.”  
  
Piper smirked. “Gotcha. Well, I guess you’ll just have to entertain me when we get back to my apartment.”  
  
“How do you want me to entertain you?”  
  
Piper popped the till open and began counting out the cash. “Up to you, Jason. But you should make it interesting.” She typed something into the register, and a slip of receipt paper printed out. She nodded, before ducking down behind the register. Jason, who’d worked in a couple different stores, supposed she was locking the money away in the safe under the register. And sure enough when she popped back up, she was emptyhanded.  
  
She grabbed her purse and jacket, set the alarm, and unlocked the door. They stepped outside and she locked the place back up.  
  
They walked back to Piper’s apartment, her hand in his, chatting easily. She led him up to the place she shared with Annabeth, and they stepped inside. She locked the door behind them, and turned to him. “So, I’ve got a couple ideas on how you can entertain me,” she said flirtatiously.  
  
“Oh really? And what would those be?”  
  
“I’ll give you a demonstration.” She moved closer to him, hands sliding up over his shoulders and cupping the back of his neck as she pulled him down for another kiss. He kissed her back, and she pushed closer, nipping teasingly at him. His tongue swept into her mouth, and he vaguely wondered why his brain hadn’t exploded from the stimulus overload. Her fingers drifted back down to the buttons on his shirt, this time popping first one, then the next, and then the next, until his shirt was hanging open.  
  
Piper stepped back with a suggestive smile. “Is that enough of a demonstration for you, or should I be a little more explicit?”  
  
“More explicit is good,” he managed to get out, his voice sounding strangled.  
  
She giggled and grabbed his hand, leading him down the hall to her room. She kicked the bedroom door shut behind them and shoved him down on her bed, straddling his hips. “Somehow,” she murmured, “I have a feeling you’re going to be _very_ entertaining.”  
  
“I hope so, considering I can’t go back to my dorm.”  
  
Piper laughed, shoving his shirt all the way off his shoulders, before reaching for the hem of her shirt.  
  
“You know,” Jason said, “this isn’t what I meant when I asked you to go out with me. Not that I’m complaining, you understand.”  
  
She grinned. “But this is what I’ve been waiting for since I first saw you in English class at the start of the semester. I do want to go out with you, but you were so fucking adorable and nervous when we first started talking that it somehow came off as sexy. And I’m definitely not letting my chance for this get away. Not now.” And with that, she leaned down and kissed him again.  
  
And Jason was pretty sure that he blacked out for the rest of the night, in the best way possible.


End file.
